1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of downloading a software of a digital broadcast receiver, and more particularly, to a method of making a software download reservation for an upgrade on a time basis or an electronic program guide (EPG) basis.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital television receiver is one of representative digital broadcast receivers. When a broadcasting station transmits a software for upgrade through data broadcasting in order to upgrade a software including various applications installed in a digital television receiver, the digital television receiver downloads the software for upgrade transmitted from the broadcasting station to upgrade the corresponding application.
That is, the digital television receiver stores a software that controls an operation of the digital television receiver in a storage device (e.g., a flash memory) included in the inside of the digital television receiver, and controls an overall operation of the digital television receiver using this software. This software is transmitted as a data stream through broadcasting waves, so that the digital television receiver receives this software and updates an operation or an application currently in use.
For example, for upgrading of a software stored in a flash memory to improve performance of an arbitrary digital television receiver, a manufacturer of the corresponding digital television receiver manufactures an upgrade version of software to be used for the digital television receiver and transmits this upgrade version software through broadcasting waves to the corresponding digital television receiver to allow the digital television receiver to upgrade the software stored in the flash memory.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a general sequence of a software upgrading operation performed in a digital television receiver exemplified as a digital broadcast receiver.
A first operation S1 is an operation of creating, by a software manufacturer, upgrade data, i.e., an upgrade software.
A second operation S2 is an operation of providing the created upgrade software to a broadcasting station.
A third operation S3 is an operation of conveying, by the broadcasting station, data provided from the software manufacturer on a broadcasting stream through broadcasting waves and transmitting the data to a corresponding digital television receiver.
A third operation S4 is an operation of receiving, by the digital television receiver, the broadcasting stream and decoding the received broadcasting stream to install the decoded upgrade data (contained in the received broadcasting stream) in the corresponding digital television receiver.
A fifth operation S5 is an operation of driving the installed software to perform upgrade and displaying an upgrade status of the corresponding software to a user using a progressive bar or an on-screen-display (OSD).
As described above, according to the related art software download/upgrade method, a broadcasting station transmits data provided from a software manufacturer through broadcasting waves, and a corresponding digital television receiver receives/decodes the data to perform software upgrading.
However, when the software upgrading is performed, it takes a considerable time for the digital television receiver to download the software through broadcasting waves and so it is inconvenient. Also, a user should wait until the digital television receiver downloads the software, drives the software, and completes upgrading.